AN AMETHYST ‘CHILONG AND BAT’ SNUFF BOTTLE, CHINA, 1740-1840
Well hollowed, of tapering ovoid form, supported on a concave foot, surmounted by a short cylindrical neck with a straight rim. One side decorated in low relief carving with a chilong and a bat, the other with blossoming prunus, a magpie and lingzhi fungus above the foot. The translucent stone is of a rich, strong purple color with contrasting light and deep areas interspersed by dark specks, the variegated tones skillfully utilized by the lapidary.


Provenance:
French trade.

Condition:
Good condition with some old wear, minor nibbling to mouth, few tiny losses, the stone with natural fissures, some of which may have developed into small hairline cracks.

Stopper: Matching amethyst stopper in Beijing style
Weight: 51.5 g
Dimensions: Height including stopper 62 mm. Diameter neck 15 mm and mouth 6 mm.


Auction result comparison:

Type: Closely related
Auction: Sotheby’s New York, 14 September 2019, lot 1485
Price: USD 15,000 or approx.
EUR 16,500
converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: An amethyst ‘chilong’ snuff bottle Qing dynasty, 18th/19th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related color, manner of carving, and subject, as well as the related form. Note that this lot comprises two other snuff bottles, one of jadeite and the other of carnelian, both of which are dated to the 20th century.




1740-1840年紫晶螭龍蝙蝠鼻煙壺

掏膛良好，圓柱躰頸部，窄肩，斂腹，圈足。 一面淺浮雕螭龍和蝙蝠，一面足部飾梅花、喜鵲、靈芝。半透明紫晶呈濃鬱的紫色，局部深淺不一，散佈著深色斑點。


來源：
法國古玩交易。

品相：
品相良好，有一些磨損，有輕微的磕損，輕微缺損，石料有天然裂縫。

壺蓋：北京風格紫晶蓋
重量：51.5 克
尺寸：含蓋高 62 毫米，頸部直徑15 毫米與口部直徑 6 毫米


拍賣結果比較：

形制：非常相近
拍賣：紐約蘇富比，2019年9月14日，lot 1485
價格：USD 15,000（相當於今日
EUR 16,500
）
描述：清十八 / 十九世紀紫晶雕螭龍紋鼻煙壺
專家評論：比較非常相近的顏色、雕刻風格和主題，以及相近的外形。請注意此鼻煙壺有兩個，一個為翡翠，另一個為紅玉髓，均為 20 世紀。